


A Treason Against My Heart

by BastRavenshadow



Category: National Treasure (2004)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-15
Updated: 2015-06-15
Packaged: 2018-04-04 12:27:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4137525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BastRavenshadow/pseuds/BastRavenshadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He'd been a fool, a damn fool, for thinking that Abigail Chase could take Riley Poole's place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Treason Against My Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Minority Pairings Community in 2005. For my friend, A.

"I'm sorry, Riley… I think I love her."

The words had been like bitter ashes in his mouth ever since. 

Ben Gates sipped his coffee, looking out the window of the small diner, watching the sleet hit the windows. He was gathering his nerve to stop in and see Riley. Riley now lived down the street in a small brownstone, now converted into flats. 

He'd been a fool, a damn fool, for thinking that Abigail Chase could take Riley Poole's place. 

To be honest, he hadn't thought of replacing Riley. He'd just been caught up in the 'happy ever after' and the 'settle down, have kids' mindset that his dad had tried hammering into his head for years.

He'd discovered that he didn't really want kids. He'd also discovered that he and Abigail didn't really have any future together. She knew it too. They'd parted friends, and for that he was grateful.

But he and Riley, well… he admitted that he'd ballsed it up in a big way. Riley seemed okay with the break up, he really did. But Ben wasn't so sure he was okay. It seemed that everything had gone wrong after Riley. Yes, he had cared for Abigail, he had. But… he missed Riley. He missed the earnest conversations, the way Riley laughed, the way he felt in bed. He missed waking up and looking at Riley, watching him sleep… watching his face as they made love. 

And Abigail was no dummy. She somehow sensed his growing moodiness was in part because of Riley's departure from the house. 

He didn't think he'd ever forget the day he'd come home from yet another talk on 'how we found the treasure' to find out that Riley had moved out. He'd left without a word, and when Ben had sought him out, he had just looked away and muttered something about needing quiet.

At first, Ben had been perplexed at that – the house they all had shared was so large that surely he and Abigail couldn't be bothering him with their loud, boisterous talks. It was only in retrospect that when Ben began to analyse the way Riley had looked and acted that he realised that Riley just didn't want to be in the house anymore with Abigail. 

Sighing, Ben put down his cup. He'd felt like a cur then. He'd let Riley down, and himself down, and he'd probably even let Abigail down. Rubbing his forehead, he rose to his feet, tossing a few bills down on the table and left the diner. Pulling his collar up, he walked down the street and looked up at Riley's building. The lights were on in Riley's flat, so he pressed the buzzer, shifting from foot to foot in the cold. 

"Yeah?" Riley said, sounding distracted. 

"It's Ben. Can I come up?" 

There was a pause, then the door buzzer sounded. Ben jerked open the door and stepped inside, grateful for the shelter from the winter storm. Wiping his feet on the mat, he then headed up the steps to where Riley resided.

When he got to the stop of the steps, someone was coming out of Riley's flat, laughing. Ben waited patiently whilst Riley and the stranger said their goodbyes and as the guy passed Ben, he looked at him curiously. 

Ben focussed his attention on Riley. "Hey." 

"Ben." Riley stood in his doorway, arms crossed. 

"Can I come in?"

Riley regarded him for a moment then stepped back, gesturing him in. 

Ben crossed the threshold and took off his coat. "Thanks."

Riley shut the door and nodded, heading back to his computer. Ben watched as the light from the computer glinted off Riley's glasses.

He cleared his throat then said, "Abigail and I decided it wasn't working out."

"Sorry to hear that," Riley said, his tone expressionless. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. 

"I'm not," Ben said, determined that Riley see that it was the truth. "I am sorry that –"

"If this is some kind of 'come back to me' speech, save it, Ben," Riley said, his voice harsh. He stood, one hand on the lid of his laptop. "I'm not interested in hearing it."

"Riley, look. I fucked things up."

Quietly, Riley said, "I agree."

"I knew you would," Ben said quietly. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I made bad choices, bad decisions –"

"Is that all I was, Ben? A choice?" Riley asked, his voice full of anger. 

Ben stared at him, his mouth partially open.

Riley spat, "You said you loved me."

Ben collected himself. "I did," he said quietly, stepping close to Riley. "I do." Riley frowned and Ben hurried on. "I didn't think. She was smart, and pretty – you even said she was hot," he reminded Riley. "All my life, my dad has been telling me over and over, get married, settle down, have kids. He never really approved of us, and I guess… I guess in some way I wanted my dad's approval about something in my life."

Riley nodded and turned away from Ben. "I understand." He paused, then went on. "I know your dad was never happy about us. Still, I fooled myself into thinking that when you said you loved me, and you had the same look in your eyes that you got when you were searching for clues for the treasure, that you meant it." He turned back to face Ben. "I thought I was almost as important as your damned treasure."

"Riley –"

Riley shook his head. "No. I admit I was dumb. I admit that." He shook his head again once. "But you know, you were important to me. I thought… well. It doesn't really matter any more, does it?"

"Riley –"

"Just go, Ben." Riley pushed past him to open the door. "Go." He gestured towards the open doorway.

Ben walked over to where Riley stood. "Riley… please."

Riley shook his head. "No. I can't go through this again." 

Just then the neighbour opened her door, leading her dog out. "Hi Riley!" 

"Hi Jeannie." Riley smiled slightly and closed his door. He glared at Ben. "No."

"Riley. Would it make you feel better to know that I beat myself up over this every single day? That even before she and I decided we were better off without each other, you're all I thought about? I felt like I'd committed treason against you. I was disloyal to you and for that I'm sorry." Ben swallowed hard. "I love you, Riley."

Riley stared at him, his gaze flat and even. "Do you remember the movie Robin Hood?"

"Which version?" Ben leant against the door frame, crossing his arms.

"Prince of Thieves. In it, Marian – played by the pleasing Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, by the way – says 'Men speak conveniently of love when it serves their purpose. And when it doesn't it's a burden to them.'" Riley half smiled. "Now, isn't that the truth?"

"Not in this case," Ben said quietly. "You said you loved me."

"I do love you, Ben." 

Ben pushed himself off the door frame. "Then give me another chance." Riley hesitated. Ben slowly slipped his arms around Riley and murmured, "Please."

"I'm probably going to regret this, but… all right. No more women?" Riley asked, leaning against Ben. "Or men, for that matter… I saw how Ian looked at you."

"Huh?" Ben gaped. He collected himself. "No, Riley. Only you."

Riley smiled at him. "So. Want to see my newest computer?"

"Sure," Ben grinned, releasing him. "Lead on."

**Late That Night**

After they'd made love, Ben ran his hand across Riley's back. "I want to do something." 

"Didn't we already do it?" Riley asked with a yawn, peering at Ben. 

"Not that. Hang on." He slid off the bed and padded out of the room, only to return in a moment, holding a pen. Climbing back on the bed, Ben straddled Riley, murmuring, "Be still."

The only noise from Riley was the hitch of his breath as Ben applied the calligraphy marker to his skin, the dark marks from what Ben was writing flowing across Riley's pale skin.

When Ben finished, he leant back to inspect his work. 

"What did you write?" Riley asked softly, his limbs awry in the bed.

Ben dropped the pen to the floor and ran his hand down Riley's side. "Something that Jacques Prevert said."

"Which is?" Riley turned his head to look at Ben.

"You in my bed, sweet present of the present, cool of night, warmth of my life," Ben murmured, coaxing Riley up to his hands and knees. 

"God," Riley whimpered as Ben pressed back inside him. He arched into Ben's touch and the silence was broken only by the sounds of their bodies meeting. 

Slumping to bed after they'd come again, Ben ran his fingers over the words he'd written. "I've missed you." He carefully moved off of his lover and lay next to him. 

Riley turned to face him and drew Ben into his arms. "I have a quote for you."

"Yeah?" Ben pulled back slightly to better see Riley's face. "What?"

"Not to love you is a treason against my heart."

Ben smiled and rested his head against Riley's chest. "Thank you, Riley."

Riley just smiled and slowly ran his hand over Ben's back until they fell asleep.


End file.
